Automatic hose reel



July 1, 1924. 1,499,644-

A. DOWRELIO AUTOMATIC HOSE REEL Filed June 19, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l IN VEN T'OR ANTONE DOWREL/ O.

July 1, 1924.

A. DOWRELIO AUTOMATIC HOSE REEL Filed June 19, 1923 2 shuns-Sheet. 2

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ANT'ONE DOWREL IO.

ATTOP EYS Patented July 1, 1924.

ANTONE DOWRELIO, OF CROCKETT, CALIFORNIA.

AUTOMATIC HOSE I IEEL.

Application filed June 19, 1923. Serial No. 646,422.

To atl whom it may concern: 1

Be itknown that I, ANTONE Downauo, a citizen of the United States, residing at Crockett, county ofContra Costa, and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Hose Reels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automatic hose reels and particularly pertains to certain improvements on the device disclosed in my prior application entitled Automatic hose reel, filed Sept. 26, 1922, now Patent No. 1,489,664.

In general, the device referred to comprises a drum about which a length of hose is reeled and from which the hose may be unreeled When desired by exerting a pull on the hose. The drum mentioned is operatively connected to a. driving mechanism which automatically operates to rotate the drum and thereby reel up the hose when the latter becomes slack or is released by the user.

It is the principal object of the present invention to generally improve the construction and operation of devices of the character referred to, whereby to provide an efficient hose reel designed to permit a hose to be easily unwound therefrom by manual efi'ort when desired and to auto matically operate to reel up the hose the instant it becomes slack or is released by the user.

In carrying out this object, I provide a frame structure supporting a drum around which a hose is reeled and a driving motor which is operatively connected to the drum for rotating it in a direction tending to reel up the hose. The motor and the connection between it and the drum are automatically controlled by a mechanism connected with the hose whereby when a pull is exerted on the latter, the motor and its connection to the drum will be rendered inoperative so that the hose may be easily unreeled by manual effort. Immediately the hose is released by the user and becomes slack, the motor commences operatin and a driving connection will be established between it and the drum to drive the latter, and thereby reel up the hose.

.One form which the invention may assume is exemplified in the following description and illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in .which:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through the apparatus embodying the preferred form of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section through the apparatus taken on line 22 of Fig. 1.

lg. 3' is an enlarged sectional view throughthe clutch mechanism.

Fig. (1 is a side elevation of the clutch Sl'l0W11j1gfthe shifting collar.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, 10 indicates a cylinraine or base formed with a "foot grical d H ange 11an an n er an e12. Su orted by the latter ig a casin 14 whit zli encloses a windin drum 15. his drum is fitted with a ho low trunnion 16 journalled at its ends in bearings 17 and 17 which are fixed to the casing 14. A pipe 18 is connected with the trunnion 16 andextends to the rim of'the dijiun'where it connects with one end of a h0'se 19'wound on the drum. The pipe 18 constitutes a fluid connection between the interior qt the trunnion and the hose." 1 j One ehd of a 'fluid su pl pipe 19 projeets into-ftihe interiorfbg' trunnion, as shown in"'1;?i fiftodeliver fluid thereto from a suitab e source of fluid supply.

Mounted in the base 1 01s an electric driving motor 20;whi ch' is'controlled by a switch 21 of the tumbler type The shaft of the motor 20 is connected b' .a flexible coupling 21 to a. Wornfshatt22flThl s s aft is jouriialled in a subframe a37secugredtwithin the base above themotor. The worm .shaft is fitted with a worm 24 which meshes with a. worm car 25 fixed on a jack shaft 26. This sha t is also journalled in the sub frame 23. Y Reference bein had to Fig.2, it is seen that the outer en of the jack shaft is fitted with a fixed collar 27. Also mounted on this shaft is a friction clutch 28\comprising a disk 29 fixed on the shaft, a movable disk 30 and a leather friction disk 31 interposed between the disks 29 and 30. The hub of the movable disk is fitted with a sprocket gear 32 which is connected by an endless chain 33 to a s rocket 34 fixed on the trunnion 16 of the drum 15. When the motor is in operation and the clutch is engaged the motor will rotate the drum at a comparatively slow speed in a direction tending to reel up the hose on the drum or in the direction indicated by the arrowflin Fig. 1.

To control the clutch, a clutch shifting collar 35 is mounted on the reduced end 35 of one of the jack shaft hearings on the subframe. This collar bears against a thrust bearing37 which in turn bears against the hub of the movable clutch disk 30. One face of the collar 35 is formed with a cam recess 38 which is adapted to be engaged by a fixed in 39 secured to the bearing 35 and when tiie collar is turned in one direction the pin will cause it to move axiall andthereby shift the movable clutch dis and engage the clutch. The collar 35 is normally maintained in a position holding the clutch engaged b a tension spring 39 which is connected to t e base 10 and to the outer end of an arm 40 extending from the collar 35.

It is intended that the clutch and motor be automatically controlled to permit the hose to be unreeled manually and to automatically operate the drum to reel u the hose when the latter has been unreele and released by the user. To accomplish this, I secure a rigid bracket 41 to the exterior of the base 10. This bracket is fitted with a vertical arm 42 which is pivotally connected at its ends to a pair of parallel horizontal levers 43 and 44. The outer ends of these levers pivotally connect to a vertical sleeve 45. This sleeve supports a hose guide 46 which comprises a pair of parallei flat members 47. These members are coimected at one end by a spacer 48 which is positioned at the top of the sleeve 45 and pivoted thereto by a vertical pivot bolt 49. This mounting permits the hose guide to be swung horizontally to any desired osition. The members 47 are bent in somew at of a V-shape and with their longer portions 50 constituting bearings for rollers 51. These rollers are formed with concave peripheries. The hose is preferably passed between the lower rollers 50- and 50 as shown in Fig. 1.

For the sake of a "pearance it is desirable to enclose the mem ers 47 and the rollers supported thereby in a casing 52. The upper end of this casing 52 is tubular and is slidable in the lower end of an extension 14 formed on the casing 14.

In operation of the device assuming that the hose is fully wound on the drum and that the stop member 57 at the end of the hose has engaged the rollers 50 and 50 of the hose guide so as to raise the latter to its uppermost position and maintain the switch 21 open, when it is desired to unreel the hose, a pull exerted thereon will maintain the hose uide in its uppermost position. This will old the switch 21 ope-n and the clutch mechanism disengaged so that continued pull on the hose will revolve he drum 15 and unreel the hose.

The moment the hose is released by the user and becomes slack, the hose guide 46 will lower by gravity. This will impart turning movement to the shifting collar 35 through the lever 43, the link 53 and the arm 30 and will shift the collar axially, through the medium of the pin 39 and the cam recess 38, and cause the clutch to engage. Simultaneously with the engaging of the clutch, the switch 21 is closed to start the motor 20. To operate the switch, the end of the lever 43 is connected to the switch by a link 55. Therefore, when the end of the lever 43 is swung upwardl the switch will be blosed and will comp etc the motor circuit, and thereby cause the motor to operate and rotate the drum to reel u the hose.

When the hose has een fully reeled, a stop member 57 which is fixed at the end of the hose, engages the rollers 50 and 50 of the hose guide.- This causes the movement of the hose to raise the hose guide and open the motor circuit to stop the motor.

Should it be desired to unreel the hose before the latter has been fully wound on the drum, a pull exerted on the free end of the hose will cause the hose guide 46 to rise and will swing the levers 43 and 44 upwardly. This movement will be transmitted to a link 53 which connects the inner end 35 so that the pin 39 on the bearing 35 will register with the deepest end of the cam recess 38 and permit the collar to actuate and release the clutch. Continued pull on the hose will then revolve the drum and unreel the hose.

The pipe 19" ma be connected with any suitable source 0 fluid under pressure. This pipe will deliver the fluid to the interior of the trunnion 16 and thence throu h the ipe 18 to the hose. A nozzle may is fitte to the free end of the hose to control the flow of fluid therethroughl From the foregoing it is obvious that a desirable hose reel has been provided which will be eflicient in operation.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of the invention as now known to me, it is to be understood that various chan s in its construction may be made without epartin from the invention as defined in the ap en ed claims.

aving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat tent is 1. An automatic hose reel com rising a frame, a drum rotatably supporte thereby, a hose reeled on said drum, a driving motor carried by the frame operatively connected to said drum for driving the same in a direction tending to wind said hose on the drum, and means operated by the hose adapted to render the connection between the motor and the drum inoperative whereby the hose may be unreeled from the drum.

2. An automatic hose reel comprising a frame, a drum rotatably supported thereby, a hose reeled on said drum, a driving motor carried by the frame operatively connected to said drum for driving the same in a direction tending to wind said hose onto said drum, :1 guide through which one end of the hose is led, a clutch in lllf' connection between the motor and the drum. and an operative connection between said guide and the clutch whereby the guide may be 0 erated by the hose to disengage the clutc to permit the hose to be unrecled, said guide being adapted to automatically operate to engage said clutch when the unreeled hose becomes slack.

3. An automatic hose reel com risin a frame, a drum rotatably supporte there y, a hose reeled on said drum, a driving motor carried by the frame operatively connected to said drum for drivin the same in a direction tending to wind said hose on the drum, a guide through which one end of the hose is led, a clutch in the connection between the motor and the drum, and an operative connection between said guide and the clutch, whereby the guide may be operated by the hose to disenga e the clutch to permit the hose to be unree ed. 1 I

4. An automatic hose reel com risin a frame, a drum rotatably supports there y, a hose reeled on said drum, a drivin motor carried by the frame and o rative y connected to said drum for drivm the same in a direction tendin to wind t e hose onto said drum, a switc controlling the operation of said motor, a member through which the hose is led, a clutchin the connection between the motor and the drum, an operative connection between said member and said clutch, an operative connection between said member and said switch whereby said member may be operated by the hose to disengage the clutc and open the switch to permit the hose to be unreeled, said member being adapted to automatically close said switch and engage said clutch when the unreeled hose becomes slack to cause said motor 1tlo rotate the drum and thereby reel up the ose.

5. An automatic hose reel comprising a frame, a drum rotatabl supported thereby, a hose reeled on said drum, a driving motor carried by the frame operatively connected to said drum for driving the same in a direction tending to wind said hose on the drum, :1 guide through which one end of the hose is led, a clutch in the connection between the motor and the drum, an operative connection between said guide and the clutch, said guide being adapted to be 0 erated by the hose to disengage the clutc a switch controlling the operation of the motor, a connection between said guide and said switch, said guide being adapted to close said switch and enga e said clutch when the hose is unreeled an becomes slack to cause said motor to rotate the drum and thereby reel up the hose, and means for automatically actuating the guide to open said switch when the hose has been fully reeled on the drum.

6. An automatic hose reel comprisin a frame, a drum rotatably supported thereiy, a hose reeled on said drum, an electric motor carried by the frame, a switch controlling said motor, an operative connection between said motor and said drum, a clutch in said connection, a lever ivoted to the frame, a hose uide connected to one end of said lever and t rough which the hose is led, a connection between the other end of the lever and said clutch, and said switch whereby movement of the hose guide will operate said clutch and said switch, said guide being adapted to be operated by the hose to disengage said clutch and open the switch and when the hose has been unreeled and becomes slack to automatically engage said clutch and close said switch to cause the motor to operate and revolve the drum and reel 11 the hose.

7. n automatic hose reel com risin a frame, a drum rotatably supporte there y, a hose reeled on said drum, an electric motor carried by the frame, a switch controlling said motor, an operative connection between said motor and said drum, a clutch in said connection, a lever (pivoted to the frame, a

hose uide connecte to one end of said lever and t rough which the hose is led, a connection between the other end of the lever and said clutch, and said switch whereb movement of the hose guide will operate said clutch and said switch, said guide being adapted to be actuated by the hose to disengage said clutch and open said switch and when the hose has been unrecled and becomes slack to automatically engage said clutch and close said switch to cause the motor to operate and re'volve the drum and reel up the hose, and means fitted at one end of the hose and engageable with the hose guide when the hose has been fully reeled to actuate the guide to open said switch and thereby stop the motor.

8. An automatic hose reel comprisin a frame, a drum rotatably supported there y, a hose reeled on said drum, an electric driving motor operatively connected to said drum for driving the same in a direction tendin to reel up the hose, a hose guide pivote to the frame through which the hose 18 led, a normally opem switch controllin said motor, a connectiont'between said switcE and the hose ide whereby when the hose is unreeled an becomes slack the hose guide will be automatically operated to close said switch to start the motor and thereby operate the drum to reel up the hose.

9. An uniumuiiv lms rev! wmprising a frame, a drum 1'01 alt-ably supported thcrvhy. a hose remind on said drum. :m vlecu'iv (Irix ing mom! upvrntiwl) vunlwvlm! In said drum for driving thv szunu in :1 dim-lion tending to rue up the MM. :1 huw guide pivoted ta thv Framithrough whivh tluhuSP is 12 a nurmully open swim-h vrmtmiling said motor, a ccmnu-tion hotwcvn said m'irvh and the hose guide whm'ohy whvn the how um'vvlml and bocmnes slack H10 how guide will he aulunmtivnlly operated to close said switch to st art the motor and thereby up0rall thv drum in rev! up the husv, and 111021115 at the 0nd of the has! adapted to engage the lumglliliv and actuate the same to open lhv sWih-h when said hose has ben fully wPiwl m1 the drum.

ANTONE DOWRELIO. 

